Entries by Lisa McDonald

NCL warns: DOGE’s FTC infiltration puts consumer privacy at risk

April 14, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is outraged by the recent actions of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), which has reportedly infiltrated the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These actions pose a direct and immediate threat to consumers and parents nationwide. By interfering with the FTC’s ability to protect the public—especially children’s data—from harmful privacy violations, fraud, and anti-competitive practices, DOGE has crossed the line.  

New anti-child labor campaign targets major U.S. meat companies for illegal child labor in slaughterhouses

April 10, 2025: Washington, DC – Green America and the Child Labor Coalition launched a new campaign aimed at eradicating child labor and labor violations in the food production industry, with a focus on the four top U.S. meat processing companies. The campaign will focus on child labor and labor violations at Perdue Farms, JBS, Tyson and Cargill, including launching a consumer petition and engaging a network of allied grassroots groups on the ground across the country. 

U.S. House vote exposes more families to fraud  

April 9, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is outraged by today’s partisan vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Larger Participants Rule. The vote approving S.J. Res 28 solidifies a gaping regulatory loophole that will allow Big Tech payment apps like PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp to evade accountability for their use by criminals to defraud millions of Americans.  

Consumers deserve slave-free chocolate: new scorecard holds brands accountable     

April 8, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) and its organization, the Child Labor Coalition (CLC), are proud to participate in the launch of the Annual Chocolate Scorecard, an initiative coordinated by Be Slavery Free, an Australian coalition campaigning against modern slavery. This campaign aims to raise awareness about child labor in chocolate production, promote ethical sourcing, and empower consumers to choose chocolate that aligns with their values.     

NCL hails bipartisan committee vote on TICKET act

April 8, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League today applauded the House Energy and Commerce committee for its overwhelming and bipartisan vote to approve the TICKET Act (H.R. 1402). The TICKET Act would, for the first time in history, ensure accountability and fairness in live event ticketing across the United States. The bill, which passed the U.S. House last Congress 388-24, was recently reported unanimously out of the Senate Commerce Committee. The bill has previously received support from nearly every stakeholder in the live event ecosystem, including consumer organizations, free-market advocates, venues, artists, primary and secondary ticketing platforms, and more than 37,000 individual fans.

NCL welcomes President Trump’s Executive Order and calls for congressional action on consumer protections in live-event ticketing

March 31, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is commending President Donald J. Trump for signing an Executive Order aimed at protecting fans from exploitative ticket scalping and implementing common sense reforms in the live entertainment ticketing industry. This decisive action underscores the urgent need for Congress to pass the bipartisan Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act (S.281/H.R. 1402).

Big banks win, consumers lose: NCL condemns effort to kill CFPB overdraft rule   

March 28, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) strongly opposes efforts to rescind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new overdraft fee rule through the Congressional Review Act (CRA). This rule is a critical step in closing an outdated loophole that has allowed major banks to rake in billions from excessive overdraft fees—often at the expense of hardworking families living paycheck to paycheck.   

Mass layoffs at HHS: A blow to healthcare access and public health

March 27, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is deeply concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to lay off an additional 10,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) following the already eliminated 10,000 jobs via previous rounds of cuts. In total, the restructuring and force reduction plans will result in a downsizing from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees nationwide.